Improvement in piano-forte actions



PATBNTED AUG. 10, 1869.

I. STEINWAY. PIANOIORTB ACTION.

UNITE STATES PATENT DFFIGE;

THEODORE s'rE nwAY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT m PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 93,647, dated August10, 1869.

To all whom it may .Be it known that I, Tunononn STEINWAY, of the city,county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Forte Actions; and Ido hereby de-- clare the following to bee. full, clear, and exactdescription thereoflwhich will enable those skilled in the art tomakeand use the same,

Si milar letters in dicate' correspon din g parts.

'Thisinvention relates to certain improvements'u n the metallicaction-frame described in Letters Patent granted tome August 18, 186 8,-and numbered 81,306, said improvements heilngjfilended particularly toadapt such me-. tallicection-frame to grand piano-fortes.

' -These'improvements consist in the'arrange-,-

merit of wedges underv the standards of the metallic action-frame, andbetween said standards and the bottom of the key-frame,'in such a mannerthat bynieans of said wedges the action-frame can be' raised or loweredand the hammers brought in the proper position-in relation to thestrings; a-lso,-in the arrangement of a rounded foot on the bottom endof the pilca'which is hinged to the intermediate or balance lever of theaction, in combination with a' concave socket in the bearing-pieceattached to each key, in such a manner that-the action-frame, togetherwith its actions,'is entirely' detached from the'keys, and can beremoved and replaced without disturbing the keys, or, by forcing thepilots out of their sockets, each key can be removed and replacedWithout disturbing the action, and thereby the adjustment of the actionand of the keys is materially facilitated; further, in the arrangementof adjusting-screws in the standards of the metallic action-frame, incombination with the rail, which limits the stroke of the keys in such amanner that said rail can be readily raised or lowered, and .thestrokeof the keys can be regulated to suit the player; also, in

the arrangement of arms extending upward from the standards of theaction-frame, and provided with holes which are tapped to receive thescrews, which pass through slots in the hammer-rail in such a mannerthat said rail can be readily fastened, and also raised or lowered toretain the hammers in the required position. v

V In the drawing, the letterA designates the bottom of the key-frame, towhich is secured the balance-rail B, in which are secured thebalance-pins a, in the usual manner. The balance-pins form the guidesfor the keys O',which are entirely detached from theaction, each keybeing provided with a bearing-piece, D, which is provided with a concavesocket, b, to receive the rounded foot of the pilot-c. pilot is hingedto the intermediate or balance lever d, which carries the jack 0, bymeans of which motion is transmitted to the hammer H. If theintermediatelever d is raised up as far as it will go, the pilot 0 canbe forced out of its socket b, and the key can be taken out withoutdisturbing the action.

By this arrangement theoperation of leveling the keys is materiallyfacilitated; and, furv thermore,-the'action-frame can be secured inposition independent of the keys, and if the keys move-slightly eithertoward one side or toward the other, under their pilots,'their'cor rectactionis not impaired.

The action-frame consists of metallic standards D, which are bored outto receive the tubular-metallic rails E, to which the several tion-framedown upon the bottom of the key- -frame.

. Under the standards D are placed wedges F, so that by moving saidwedges in or -out the action-frame is raised orlowered, and the hammercan be adjusted in the proper distance from the strings.

The top bars of the metallic'standard D are provided with holes, throughwhich pass the screws h. These screws screw into the rail I, whichserves to limit the stroke of the keys, and which I have termed thekey-rail of the action-frame, and the shanks of said screws This areprovided with grooves 1', through which pass the pins j, (see Fig. 4,)so that said screws can freely turn in their sockets in the standards,but they are rn'evented from moving up and down. By turning the screwsIt, therefore, the key rail is raised or lowered, and the stroke of thekeys can be readily adjusted without disturbing any portion of theaction.

Under the heads of the screws h, l place elastic cushions, so as todeaden the sound if the keys strike the key-raih From the rear or innerends of the standards I) rise arms Ir, to which the hammer-rail T issecured by means of screws I. These screws are tapped into the arms7.'-, and they pass through oblong slot-s m (see Fig. 2) in thehammer-rail, so that said rail can be readily raised or lowered, and thestriking distance of the hammers can be easily regulated.

By these improvements an action-frame is produced which can be easilymanipulated and regulated by every person of ordinary mechanical skill,and which is so constructed that all its parts can be readilyinterchanged, and that each action-frame canbe inserted into everypiano-forte of the same class without requiring any fitting.

I distinctly disclaim everything shown and described in my Patent No.81,306; but

What I claim as new, and desire t secure by Letters Patent, is e '1. Thearrangement of wedges F under the standards 1) of the metallicaction-frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. The arrangement of a rounded foot on the bottom end of a pilot, c,"incombination with a concave socket in the bearing-plece D, attached toeach key, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The screws h, passing loosely through holes in the top bars of themetallic standards 1), and being retained by transverse pins passingthrough 'grooves in their shanks, in combination with the key-rail l,substantially as:

described.

4. The arms 14 on the metallic standards D, in combination with theharnrner-rail J, provided with slots to admit the screws 1,substantially as set forth.

THEODORE STEIN WAY.

